11/16/2011

At press time, word was circulating on Capitol Hill that Democrats might try to add [repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act] to a Department of Defense authorization bill coming up in the near future to increase its chances of passing with less public scrutiny. [FoTF]

The Family Research Council ran with it:

Yesterday, after the Senate Judiciary Committee passed a bill to overturn the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), we learned from sources on the Hill that the legislation's sponsor--Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.)--is considering the ultimate military insult: attaching her repeal to the Defense Authorization bill. [FRC]

Which led NOM to press release it:

Reports out of Washington are now indicating that – just a week after forcing a bill to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) through the Judiciary Committee on a party line vote – Senator Diane Feinstein, Senate Judiciary Chair Pat Leahy (D-VT) and Majority Leader Harry Reid may now attach the DOMA repeal bill to the 2012 Defense Authorization bill, a bill that must be passed in order to fund our servicemen and women through the next year. [NOM]

And that led the Alliance Defense fun to repurpose NOM's "word" with similarly sensational language:

Thing is: This "word out of Washington" to which these inter-connected groups are referring is the word within their own echo chambers. Washington Blade's Chris Johnson has more:

Fred Sainz, vice president of communications for the Human Rights Campaign, said his organization has no knowledge of any intention to amend the defense bill with DOMA repeal. The largest LGBT organization, HRC is responsible for lobbying on Capitol Hill and would likely be looped in on any such plans.

Sainz said the mailing is a "red herring" and an attempt to trick NOM's supporters into thinking the organization is working on something after suffering a series of defeats.
...
"Their members and their donors are, obviously, upset at their very poor performance," Sainz said. "NOM needs to give them a red herring that equals hope or shows that they are working on something no matter how big of a lie it is. They're trying to raise money with this is what they're trying to do. They are trying to give the sense that something is going on when this is not something that is in the works."FULL: HRC denies NOM’s claim on DOMA repeal in defense bill [Wash Blade]

Fred nails it: NOM right now is all about finding some sort of usable on which their supporters can hang a hope (e.g. the non-stater "let the people vote" campaign in NY state). And the game always -- ALWAYS! -- involves our side allegedly doing something that's irresponsible, threatening, or mean. Because that's still their cash cow, even if the milk is starting to sour.